The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-25
How Mark Twain Was Cheated Out of the Hon
ors of Knighthood-T Wickedest Girl
in New York Makes Few Remarks.

things of the Pacific coast. They received a
great deal of attention, public and social, al
! though they endeavored to be as quiet as possi-
BILE. One day her mail included q letter from a
poet, who explained that she a woman of
great tslent and small fortune. She inclosed a
poem beginning with this verse:
Fair Edith we welcome you here;
And wish you long life and much joy;
Though gone is the theatrical sphere,
Sweeter dramas of life yeu enjoy.
There were seven stanZas. and they told in
rhyme how the ex actress had ''proved that no
station too high was beyond true womau's re-
ward;" how in her theater days she made the
audience from gallery pit all entranced, and
the thrall of her power enhanced" 1t was the
sweetest of taffy all the way through, and it
ended with the following>extra sweet COB:
An actress of talent you proved,
A lady of manners serene;
An artistic whose deep passion moved,
A trllliant society queen.
Mrs. Gould does not deny that the rather
pleased with the ELUSIVE compliments but she
declares that she was shocked receiving, two
days later, a note from the poetess intimating
that pecuniary reward would be accepted The
nissive was so explicit as TO mention $500 as be-
ing about the right sum. No money sent in
response to this request, however. though in
fer that souvenir of some sort was given.
There is jolly row IN a musical circle of rath-
er high society. There NAV bs no discord in
Wagner music, as charged by those who do not
appreciate the great musician, but there is
denying the terrific inharmony in the club
eanized to boom and adulate him. Fashionable
society pays enormously for German opera OF
the Metropolitan Opera-house, and Wagner
dominates the bills; but some of his intense ad-
mirers felt that public appreciation was not
keen as it ought to be, and SO they organized
society for the purpose of attuning the general
ear to hear Wagner Alright. The preliminary ar
rangements were made with no moro than the
ordinary difficulties that attend the formation of
church chors labor parties and movements
looking to the reform of society. Director Stan
ton. of the Metropolitan, encouraged the enter
nrise in every way he could, possibly with
eye to the Incidental advertising of the house,
but the effort was mainly an outcome of artistic
thusIasm. One member was Walter Dam
rosch, son of famous deceased father. and he
is orchestral leader at the Metropolitan. The
difficulty arose over and around this young man.
1t is hard to find out exactly why, because the
ordinary members do not know, and the par
tcular members will not divulge the facts, but
1t is certain that at rehearsal. where the af
fairs of the Wagner Society were introduced for
discussion, a face was virtually slapped and the
blow has shocked out the whole organization
The universe is not shaken by this shock, but it
makes our best society talk, all the same.
Two loud-talking won en- were in a street-car
which was full. and the whole company was in
formed:
Il was getting horrid fat and looked like
Dutch churn. In six months time / reduced
my weight forty pounds and the size of my
waist full three inches"
"Oh, my! how did you do t?' loudly inquired
the other.
by taking just as little food, drink and sleep
as health would allow, and by tight lacine. 1t
nearly killed me the first six weeks, but
determined not to give in. and didn't / came
the nearest giving up on the matter of drink, it
was awful hard! But now go all day long with
out drinking and don't feel any need of it any
discomfort"
''Oh myl I couldn't do that
"You must!" Talk about Spartan womeni
The expression on that face surpassed the pluck
of all of EN-. you must draw your corset lac
ings tighter and tighter every day. And that
isn't a-you must wear your corsets III ghts and
not loosen the lacings either"
By this time the attention of all in the car
was directed to the two loquacious women. Old
men and young men sat with bated breath be-
hind their newspaper shields, an air of expect
ancy on their faces, and one or two scandaized
women, who were hanging to the straps.
turned their backs and listened.
II should have to go without sleep IL / went
to bed with my corset on" said the Spartan
woman's pupil. with plaintive voice.
"But You can't have good figure unless you try
for 1t. What is the sdeache and the backache,
and thirst, and loss of sleep. to a trim waistf
Do you suppose would take back all my hor-
rid fat and my three inches of waist for the sake
of eating and drinking, and sleepinel MOI If
you are wise you'll put yourself and your girls
Il notice they're not extremely slender) into
very strong, close boned corsets, lace yourselves
up tightly, refuse food. drink and sleep-in
fact take no liquid whatever; let there be no
relaxation of the rules Draw the laclngs every
night and morning-you can, for there will not
be much appetite at first to fill you out-and in
the end you'll be as trim as l am"
Mark Twain will never be hanged for modesty
and yet he owes it to a retiring disposition that
he is not real knight at this blessed minute.
Il is generally known that the humorist is
mighty shrewd business man, and that by being
his own publisher. he has made dollars out of
his works where other writers of equal merit
have made cents But he chooses to keep his
name out of the commercial end OF his enter
prises, saving it for the authorship apex of them
Thus In the firm of Charles L. Webster 81 Co. he
is the unmentioued partner, although the princi-
pal one. Well, from the issuing Of Twans
books the concern went into the Grant autobiog-
raphy. clearing nigh quarter of million from
it; and their latest venture a volume about
the Pope at Rome. Twain went himself to
Italy TO arrange the matter and while there
had audiences with the Pontiff; but he figured
there only as .'Charles L. Webster & Co, ;" be-
cause he was at the time engaged in business
rather than literature. So it happened that ths
Pope regarded him Webster. Now comes
a big parchment from Rome setting forth that
CHARLES L. Webster has been. created Knight
of the Order of Pins, because lit is the custom
and practice of the Roman pontiffs to gladly be-
stow titles of high honor on those gentlemen
whose eminent gifts of mind. and whose excel
lent qualities seem to US worthy OF being crowned
with rewards" With this document of ennoble-
ment is a decoration of blue silk, ornamented
with two stripes of red at the edges, and the di
rections that it shall be worn the left
breast according to knehtly CUSTOM" But it
cannot properly adorn the front of Mark Twain
although really meant for him, and his lesser
partner thus scoops the glory which belongs to
the greater.
In Broadway I two who required
nothing save their own good looks to distinguish
them. They were actors. One was the young
leader of city stock company, and the women
are adi in xxi.b He all
markably handsome fellow, and he maintains an